Continuous chain press for the wood industry



4 Sheets-Sheet l A mm s mm mm. m

Sept. 27, 1966 w. KDHLER ETAL CONTINUOUS CHAIN PRESS FOR THE WOODINDUSTRY Filed March 50, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 W. KOHLER ETAL CONTINUOUSCHAIN PRESS FOR THE WOOD INDUSTRY Inventors WALTER KbHLER WILL!KIESMEIER ArmRNE V Sept. 27, 1966 Filed March 50, 1964 p 1966 w. KDHLERETAL 3,275,050

CONTINUOUS CHAIN PRESS FOR THE WOOD INDUSTRY Filed March 50, 1964 4Sheets-Sheet 5 [rive/#021 WAUEI? mil/LEI? WILL! mEsME/EI? ATTORNEY Sept.27, 1966 w. KCJHLER ETAL 3,275,050

CONTINUOUS CHAIN PRESS FOR THE WOOD INDUSTRY 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FiledMarch 30, 1964 United States Patent 3,275,050 CONTINUOUS CHAIN PRESS FORTHE WOOD INDUSTRY Walter Ktihler, Gutersloh, and Willi Riesmeier,Lubbecke,

Westphalia, Germany, assignors to Firma Ima-Klessmann K.G., acorporation Filed Mar. 30, 1964, Ser. No. 355,744 Claims. (Cl. 144281)The present invention relates to the field of steam heated continuouslyoperating chain presses for the wood industry as are used e.g. for theprocessing of boards, sheets, etc. into veneers, cementing or similar.Such continuously operating presses are known as such, are, however,used only in minor degress, because for the steps to be performedthereby, there must generally be applied in addition to pressure alsoheat. Particularly for cementing work there must be used comparativelyhigh temperatures of 200 to 300 C. in order that the cement used doesrapidly and thoroughly set, because with such presses there are to beachieved operational speeds as high as possible. The intendedoperational speeds are in the range of up to 20 m./ min.

The expert is familiar with the fact that when cementing wood plates,e.g. when glueing veneers onto plates, there must be applied a certainamount of heat and the higher the temperature within the continuouspress, the shorter e.g. can be the continuous press in order to applyduring a desired higher operational speed the required amount of heat.The structural length of the continuous press depends of course also onother parameters, like e.g. among others the operational speed. Thestationary steam heating of these known continuous chain presses actsindirectly by heat radiation onto the chain members and in consequenceonly incompletely. This is the reason why in already existing continuouspresses the individual chain members are supplied with heat by means ofelectric energ it was, however, soon found that these types of presseswhen heated electrically do require extremely high current densities,and such high current densities can be used in practice only withrelatively high difficulties, and respectively are extremelyuneconomica-l.

The present invention is based on the object to propose for acontinuously operating chain press a direct heating, in order to effectthe heating of such a chain press with a comparatively inexpensivemedium in a particularly economical manner in this specific art.

According to the invention a continuously operating chain press for thewood industry for the processing of plates is characterized in that theindividual chain members are provided for a direct steam heating withsteam conduits and are interconnected and at least one member of eachchain is provided with a steam admission and discharge conduit, each ofwhich is connected with a frame stationary steam connecting line througha connecting conduit member performing only a reciprocating movement andpermitting a rotational movement. This connecting conduit member ispassed in the center between and in both directions moving chainstringer on a guiding track extending between the shaft of the front andrear reversal roller. The connecting conduit member comprises a doublestuffing box for the admission and discharge conduits which arerotatably connected with these at the chain members and mountedcentrically in respect to each other. The connecting conduit member isconnected through tubes or telescopic pipes with the frame stationarysteam connecting conduit. The connecting conduit member is preferablyarranged within the endless chains passed over lateral reversal rollerswithout continuous shafts, with guiding track and tubes for PatentedSept. 27, 1966 rollers in a second parallel guiding track for the tubesand an oppositely operating rope connection. The chain members areinterconnected by means of flexible tubes for carrying the steam andpreferably there are provided two steam circuits in the chains, i.e. alleven numbered members are interconnected and all odd numbered membersare interconnected, so that the connecting tubes between the members,under passing one member each, are sufficiently long to accommodate arespective bending when a reversal of the chain is effected.

The present invention is in consequence based on the recognition that itis possible to directly heat the members of an endless rotating chainwith steam if the admission and discharging conduit for the steamconnected at one or several points of the chain is passed to aconnecting conduit member which translates the rotating movement of theconnecting chain member into a reciprocating and straight line movementand permits a rotating movement of the admission conduit, so thatbetween the connecting conduit member and the stationary connectingpoint there is to be equalized only a reciprocating movement. Acontinuous chain press according to the invention will be explained bymeans of an embodiment with reference to the enclosed drawings. In thedrawings:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic vertical section through a continuous chainpress with upper and lower endless chain according to the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal longitudinal section corre-' sponding to FIGURE1,

FIGURE 3 is a section through the connecting conduit member withadmission and discharge conduit for the steam in a chain member,

FIGURE 4 is a section through a chain section,

FIGURE 5 is a plan view from below onto the individual chain members.

The continuous chain press comprises a supportwith two frames of whichthe lateral sides 1 respectively 2 for the upper chain resp. lower chain6 are shown in FIGURE 1. In FIGURE 2 these lateral sides for the upperchain are shown in section. The frames in which the chains 6 aresupported and guided are movable in respect to each other, andpreferably one of the two frames,- i.e. the lower frame, is stationarilymounted in the machine support, while the upper frame can be lifted andlowered in order to effect the desired compressive force. In the lateralsides 1 and 2 there are rotatably supported the shafts 5 of the frontreversal rollers 3 and the rear reversal rollers 4. These shafts 5 arein the form of stub shafts and thus these are not continuous between thereversal rollers 3 and 4 arranged within the side walls 1 resp. 2. Thespace within the chains 6 is in consequence free of all obstructions.The individual chain members 7 are guided (not shown) at their narrowsides in guides with roller supports at the interior sides of the'sidewalls 1 and 2 and are reinforced against bending at their central partwith herewith connected girders 8.

About from the connecting line of the stub shaft of the front reversalrollers 3 to the connecting line of the stub shafts of the rear reversalrollers 4 there is mounted in the space surrounded by the upper andlower stringer of each rotating endless chain, a straight guiding track9 comprising an upper track bar 10 and a lower track bar 11. These trackbars 10 and 11 are e.g. of a square cross-section and are stationarilysupported in the same distance in respect to each other and from thecenter line between the upper and the lower stringer of the chain insuch a manner, that with one edge these are adjacent to each other.These track bars 10 and 11 serve for the guiding of a connecting conduitmember 1-2 for the steam supply and discharge connecting line from thechain to a stationary means.

The connecting conduit member 12 substantially comprises a doublestufling box shiftable with upper and lower pairs of guiding rollers 13.The rollers of each pair turn about axes forming an angle between them,preferably of 90, so that the rollers engage adjacent sides,respectively, of the square cross-section track bars 10 and 11 betweenthe two shafts of the chain.

At least one section 1-4 of each chain has tube connections 15, 16connected with a double pipe 17. This double pipe carries one conduit19within the other conduit 20, so that at its end adjacent to anddirected toward the chain member there are provided two side-by-sidepipe connections and at its other end, opening at an angle to such pipeconnections because of the elbow '18, there are two concentricallyarranged pipe ends. One of these two pipe ends, preferably the interiorpipe end 19, is the supply pipe for the steam and the encircling pipe 20is the discharge pipe for the steam.

The discharge pipe 20 for the steam in the front part of the stuflingbox is sealingly and rotatably supported in a connecting housing2'5.,-reciprocable in opposite directions along track 9 in synchronismwith corresponding movements of the connections 15, 16 between theconduits 19 and 20 and the chain 14 with packing 21 backed by a packingring 22 .and a compression flange nut 23. From one front area 24 therepass openings or a perforation into an annular chamber within thehousing 25 connected with a port 26 through the housing wall of thestuffing box with a further (not shown in FIGURE 3) discharge pipe.

The interior steam supply pipe 19 is passedwithin the steam dischargepipe of substantially greater crosssection and has a flanged nipple 27arranged in a further part 33 in the housing wall of the stufiing box 12into a chamber 32 and from there through the nipple 27 into the supplypipe 19,

In view of'the above explained structure of the stufling box 12 thesteam supply and steam discharge pipes 20 and 20 centrally arranged inthis stufling box are rotatable in respect to this stufling box, so thatthese follow a rotation of the chain member 14 and on the other hand thestuffing box with its guiding rollers -13 follows on the tracks and 11in guided manner to the straight line movement of the chain member 14 inthat it is carried along by the double pipe 17.

The steam supply and discharge ports 33 and 26 are r 4 understood thatby the rollers 37 and 38 and the pair of ropes 41, the hoses 34 areconstantly maintainednnder guided by the stuffing box '12 throughflexible tubes or hoses 34 to a stationary connection 35 in one of theside walls 1 of the press. These flexible tubes or hoses 34 only have tofollow the reciprocating movement of the stufling'box 12 and aresubjected only to slight bending forces. In order to achieve anunambiguous and clear a position of, the supply and discharge hose tube34 in each position of the-stufling boxes at their guiding track 9,

there is provided a guideway 36 for the hoses 34 para-llel to theguiding track 9. This guideway guides a *roller pair 37/38 which turn onaxles slidable along upper tracks 39 and lower tracks 40 of the guideway36. The

rollers 37 and 38 are rigidly connected in order to ma-i-n-.

tension between the stufiing box 12 and the hose connections 35 in allpositions of movement of the smiling box 12. In FIGURE 2 there is shownin full lines-one terminal position of the stufiing box 12 with thechain member connected to it and the corresponding position of theguiding :roller pair 37/ 38, and the other terminal position of suchports is shown in dashed lines.

In order to connect the steam heated chain members in such a manner thatthere is obtained a continuous steam circuit, the chain members 7 areinterconnectedby means of flexible tubes 47 as is shown in the FIGURE. 4and 5. Since in a connection of the directly adjacent chain members bymeans of flexible tubes the free tube length would not be sufficient forthe accommodation of, a suf-j ficient bending, the steam circuit issubdivided by the chain members into two circuits, and in eachcase theeven numbered chain members and the odd numbered chain members areinterconnected through longer tube pieces, so that each tube piece is ofsuflicient length in order to be also passed around reversal rollers ofsmaller diameter and can accommodate the thereby occurring bending.

Each chain member is provided withtwo connecting members 44 and 45, eachof which is angularly bent at its interior end 46. At these angular bentmembers. 46,

order to permit a sufficient bending in the reversal'rollers' The tubes47 are arranged in three lines.

of the chain. adjacent to each other so that the connection with theindividual chain members does not result in substantial difliculties andin particular the heating channelswithin the chain members need not beguided indifferent manner. What we claim is:

1. A fluid-heated endless press for pressing wood sheets,

and the like com-prising hollow endless pressing'means adapted toreceive heating fluid therein, means guiding said pressing means forlengthwise movement inan elongated orbit, heating fluid supply conduitmeans having a connection to said pressing means, and guide meansguiding portions of said heatingfluid supply conduit means, forreciprocation within the elongated orbit traversed by said endlesspressing means as said connection .to said pressing means movesorbitally.

2. A steam-heated endless chain press for pressing wood sheets and thelike comprising a frame, a hollow endless ch-ain adapted to receivesteam therein for heating it, guide means supporting said chain fromsaid frame and guidingsaid chain for lengthwise movement inan elongatedorbit, steam supply and discharge conduit means connected between saidframeand said endless chain, and conduit guide means guiding portions ofsaid steam supply and discharge conduit means between their. ends forreciprocation within the orbit of said endless chain in synchronismwithorbital movement of the'connections between said steam supply anddischarge and said endless chain.

3. The chain press defined in claim 2, inWhich'the endless chain orbitincludes two opposite straight stretches,

conduit, means the conduit guide means includes a track located midwaybetween such opposite :straight stretches of the endless chain andconduit-engaging means guided by said track for reciprocation along itin opposite directions corresponding to the direction in which theconnections between the steam supply and discharge conduit means and theendless chain move;

4. The chain press defined in claim 3, in which the steam supply anddischarge conduit means between the conduit guiding means and theendless chain have a dou- I ble elbow in which two conduit portions aredisposed concentrically adjacent to the conduit guiding means, and adouble stufling box sealing between such concentric conduit portions,respectively, and said conduit guiding means.

5. The chain press defined in claim 3, in which the conduit guidingmeans includes a connecting housing to which the steam supply anddischarge conduits are connected, said housing being reciprocable alongthe track.

6. The chain press defined in claim 5, in which the steam supply anddischarge conduits include telescoping pipes connected to the frame.

7. The chain press defined in claim 2, in which the chain guide meansincludes at opposite ends of the chain orbit chain-supporting rollersspaced apart transversely of the direction of movement of the chain, andstub axles supporting the rollers firom the frame so as to leave a spaceopposite ends of the chain orbit and between the spaced-apartchain-supporting rollers, which space is unobstructed bychain-supporting structure.

8. The chain press defined in claim 3, and a second conduit guidingtrack generally parallel to the first conduit guiding track, and aroller mounted for reciprocation along said second guiding track andengageable by the 6 steam supply and discharge conduits for guiding theportions of the steam supply and discharge conduits between the frameand the first guide track.

9. The chain press defined in claim 2, in which the endless chainincludes a series of hollow sections, and connecting conduit meansinterconnecting said hollow sections for transmitting steamtherebetween.

10. The chain press defined in claim 9, in which the connecting conduitmeans connect each chain section to another chain section spaced apartto accommodate at least one chain section therebet-ween.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,975,470 3/ 1961Snelson v 93 FOREIGN PATENTS 257,672 8/ 1911 Germany.

WILLIAM W. DYER, JR., Primary Examiner.

RALPH ZLOTNIK, Assistant Examiner.

2. A STEAM-HEATED ENDLESS CHAIN PRESS FOR PRESSING WOOD SHEETS AND THELIKE COMPRISING A FRAME, A HOLLOW ENDLESS CHAIN ADAPTED TO RECEIVE STEAMTHEREIN FOR HEATING IT GUIDE MEANS SUPPORTING SAID CHAIN FROM SAID FRAMEAND GUIDING SAID CHAIN FOR LENGTHWISE MOVEMENT IN AN ELONGATED ORBIT,STEAM SUPPLY AND DISCHARGE CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID FRAMEAND SAID ENDLESS CHAIN, AND CONDUIT GUIDE MEANS GUIDING PORTIONS OF SAIDSTEAM SUPPLY